Tag Archives: UK Shows

I apologize for not blogging in a loooong time. Just finished my second semester at school and finals week had me too drained to write. Also, I can’t seem to decide which show to put on my Top 5 UK Based Shows You Should be Watching.

I have my top two but I don’t know which one should be on top! Such a dilemma. Anyways, while I procrastinate on that decision let me tell you about one British show that did not make it to my top 5.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Billie Piper stars as Hannah/Belle, a high-class escort in London. The series documents her various sexual adventures as Belle while keeping her call girl identity a secret from Hannah’s friends and loved ones.

I’ve been watching this show since its first series and sadly after series 4, it was cancelled. The show is actually based on the blog and books (Secret Diary of a London Call Girl) by “Belle de Jour”.

Though it did not make it to my top 5, Secret Diary of a Call Girl is still a must-watch. Just be prepared for a lot of sex scenes.

For this post, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite outfits of Belle/Hannah. I love love loved her fashion sense in the last season so here are a few screencaps of what she wore.

Here was Belle arriving from a lavish vacation. I loved this look! Very feminine and glamorous. The dress poofs out in a circle skirt and her shoes are red too!

Adore the statement neckpiece!

Here she is as Hannah. Simple and breathtaking! This is her nightgown btw. I never looked this good going to sleep.

Very HBIC.

Again, as Hannah. Very sweet and simple.

Love her eye makeup and necklace and dress in this outfit.

Again, here’s Hannah with her adorably grunge and girl-next-door style.

Well, that’s it! I know I kinda suck at capping but I hope you see the wonderfulness that is Belle/Hannah’s fashion during the 4th Series of Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Til next time!

Was supposed to postpone this post until tomorrow but I was so happy to find out that they were airing Series 4 already I just had to share 🙂

Being Human is a supernatural drama about a werewolf, vampire and ghost living under one roof. The sci-fi/fantasy geek in me couldn’t resist a premise like that! Though it may sound a little hokey, the show is actually a great drama. It follows Annie (the ghost), George (the werewolf), and Mitchell (the vampire) as they struggle to live normal lives.

George and Mitchell are old friends who move into an apartment unknowingly haunted by Annie. They all become friends and try to figure out what happened to Annie, who killed her and why she was still in our world.

What follows is a roller-coaster ride of emotions from joy to devastation to anger and back to joy. It isn’t easy for any of them especially when their pasts keep coming back and ruining their attempt at a human existence.

I really love this show! The plot may sometimes go to the cliche route but there’s always a twist that keeps me coming back. And the acting! The acting is soooo good. Shout out to Russel Tovey, who plays George.

Every episode is a nail-biter and I love it! Watch it please!

PS. As always with great UK shows, there’s a US version. I’m a little tempted to try and watch it. That’s how much I love the UK version! Oh well, maybe when I’m not busy.

Edit: I just watched the first two episodes of the new season/series and OMG I’ve been crying non-stop. It’s that good! Watch eeeet!

Skins was one of the first British shows I watched (and actively followed). I don’t remember how I found out about it but in no time at all I was hooked. I downloaded all the episodes I could and waited patiently for the next episodes to air. This was way back 2007, I think.

Now, the Skins I fell in love with had the First Gen cast. So, this recommendation and review only pertains to the First Gen kids. I have no love for the Second Gen (and stopped watching it after their first series). I stuck around for a bit to watch Effie and her new gang to just give the show the benefit of the doubt. Though it was entertaining at times, my heart just didn’t beat for them.

Anyway, back to the First Gen kids. I LOVE them. And I mean Looooove. For me, they were the epitome of the teenage lifestyle. Sex, lack of sex, insecurities, identity crises, belonging, being left out, fights, crushes, loves and most of all friendship. They had a certain freedom about them. More than being able to stay out all night partying, they had the devil may care attitude, the “let me go where the wind takes me” and the “I just don’t give a damn”. I mean, they went to Russia! I had fun watching them have fun and fall apart. I relished in all the unrequited love and the love taken for granted. I laughed and cried and laughed again. For fans of the series, you know what (or who) I am talking about.

They were young and wild and free and I loved them.

For me, the show was fueled by the characters. There wasn’t a central plot, no big bad to vanquish. It was all about the kids and how they lived they lives. It’s no surprise then that I lost interest when the cast changed. I’m not saying you shouldn’t watch the Second and Third generations, I just can’t recommend them. That goes ditto for Skins US.

After gushing like a little school girl, let me give you a little bit more about the show. Skins UK is about 8 teenagers.

Tony (the leader),

Sid (the bestfriend),

Michelle (the girlfriend),

Jal (the girlfriend’s friend),

Maxxie (the gay friend),

Anwar (the gay friend’s bestfriend who happens to be Muslim),

Chris (the slacker) and

Cassie (the recovering anorexic).

At first glance, it may seem like the show revolves around Tony, but each episode is dedicated to another character. Throughout the whole series, you fins out a little bit more about each person and fall in love with them afterwards. There’s a lot of sex scenes and even more swearing but once you get used to that, you really get into the meat of the show. And that is, like I said, the characters. They even have video shorts and I gobbled those up too.

This long-winded review has come to an end and I hope I have convinced you to at least try out an episode. Word of advice, start with the First Gen. Whether you’d like to continue and see the others, well that’s up to you.

Since there is a lack of UK shows available to the masses in the Philippines, there are almost no fangirls/boys for me to fangirl with. This makes my random rants and exclamations of love unheard and passed over. To remedy this, I am posting my top 5 favorite UK shows.

NUMBER 5

Little Britain and The Robinsons

Ok, so I’m cheating a little bit by giving you two shows on one slot. The reason for this is that both shows aren’t on air anymore and you may be hard-pressed to find copies on the Internet.

I don’t remember how I stumbled on these two shows but I am really glad I did. (I think I watched them on TV a long time ago, on those obscure channels).

Little Britain is a comedy sketch show written by David Walliams and Matt Lucas. I watched a documentary about British comedy and found that Little Britain was a satire of the conditions of British citizens at that time. It was meant to poke fun at the emerging characters that society had invented. In relation to today’s Philippine society, imagine a show about Jejemons, Conyo Boys and Girls and over-the-top Homosexuals.

Little Britain had many characters and various situations narrated in a manner suggesting that the show was aimed at “non-British” people as a sort of documentary. Creators Williams and Lucas portrayed all the characters seen on the show in different costumes and varying degrees of make-up. Think Eddy Murphy in The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, only more effective.

The Robinsons is a kooky family comedy centered on Ed Robinson (Martin Freeman). This was the first time I encountered Mr. Freeman and unbeknownst to me, not the last. I’m sort of in love with him and his acting skills. He did win a Bafta, after all (actually, I think 2 of them!)

I can’t really put into words the reason I love the Robinsons. Though I only have a vague recollection of what the show actually was about, I do remember loving it and patiently waiting for every episode. I do need to find copies and re-watch the show. Take it from me, if I remember a show as being really good then it’s bound to be. Also, Martin effin Freeman ladies and gentlemen! (A little reference, he’ll be playing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit movies).